My name is Jayna Brown and I am a new CEHSP student worker assisting with communications. I am majoring in Integrated Elementary and Special Education here at UMD, to learn how to become a helpful, positive influence in children’s lives.
When I was in elementary school myself, each morning I would go to school to help my teachers around their classrooms and stayed late after school just to converse with them. I loved talking to my teachers and learning from them, beyond the role of an educator. My teachers were my mentors.
Each year since then, I still return to my elementary school to help my former sixth-grade teacher with organization around her classroom, in addition to working one-on-one with her students. Working with the students is my favorite part, as I love to see how each student brings a different element to the classroom as a whole.
As an aspiring educator, I believe it is my job to show children how valuable each and every one of them is to our class. My dream is to one day have a classroom of my own in which all children feel equally valued and supported.
In addition to working in classroom settings, during the past four summers, I have worked with Golden Valley Parks and Recreation, in which I supervise children ages 4-12, and create games and crafts for them. Working with children outside of the classroom has helped me see them through a different lens and watch their personalities bloom during the various activities that we do together.
While I spend a mass amount of my time working with children, I am also passionate about social justice work and race relations. For this reason, during my first year at UMD, I joined the Black Student Association on campus as the freshman representative. This year, I am back on the executive board as the general representative.
Being involved in BSA has taught me the importance of having conversations around race and equality, especially as a prospective teacher within the Duluth community. I think it is imperative that children be exposed to different cultures so they begin embracing one another’s differences and learning from each other at a young age.
I am excited to work with CEHSP and learn more about other students and faculty who are working towards goals of their own, and showcasing the amazing work that they are doing within the college and in the surrounding Duluth community.